Cigar-box filler.



PATBNTBD PEB. 14, 1905.

H J LEWIS vGIGAR BOX FILLER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 1113.8,19o4- 5 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

aya

No. 782,573. l PATEN'IED FEB. 14, 1905.

H. J. LEWIS. GIGAR BOX PILLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 8,1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

749297660625: I IWW/7127.

,Zad jygyfzyflea//z H. J. LEWIS. GIGAR BOX- PILLBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 851904.

PATENTED FEB. `14:, 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNITED STATES Patented February 14, 1905.

PATENT OEEIGE.

CIGAn-Box FILLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 782,573, datedFebruary 14, 1905.

Application filed March 8, 1904. Serial No. 197,187.

T0 {1J/1 whom t muy concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCigar-BoxFillers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to, which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its object to Yprovide an improved devicefor holding cigars within a box and for relieving them from boxpressure,which device I term a cigar-box filler.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations ofdevices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

It is a well-known fact that the delicate texture of the tobacco of agood cigar is much injured by com pression. For this reason highgradecigars are made byhand instead of being made in wooden, paper, or metalmolds, as is done in some cheaper grades 0I' cigars. 1t is also awell-known fact that a good cigar or even a cheap grade of cigar is muchinjured by being pressed out of shape by so-called box-pressure, underwhich it is customary to pack them within the box.

In my prior patent, No. 748,624, issued of date January 5, 1904, I havedisclosed and claimed what I have therein termed a selfsustainingcigar-carrier, used as a cigar-box filler to prevent box-pressure on thecigars. My present invention accomplishes the same general result as mysaid prior invention, but differs therefrom materially in many respectsand has certain advantages over the said prior device, as willhereinafter more fully appear.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a view in side elevation with some parts broken away,Showing my improved cigar-box filler in full lines and showing thecigar-box and the cigars in dotted lines. Fig. 2 isan end elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section onthe line x3 p03 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4and 5 are detail views in. perspectivewith parts broken away, Showing portions of the improved cigar-boxfiller. Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective corresponding to Figs. 4and 5, but illustrating a modified construction. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview showing a spacing device by full lines and showing the cigar-boxand one of the strips of the filler in dotted lines, and Fig. 8l is aplan view showing' the iSlpacing device illustrated in Fig. 7 spread outIn the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a cigar-box, and the numeral 2the cigars, which partsA are indicated only by dotted lines.

In my present invention the cigar-box filler,.7 so called, is made up ofa plurality of long and preferably quite narrow trays havingclosely-positioned approximately semicylindrical pockets adapted toreceive the cigars.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the numeral3 indicates the socalled base-strip, preferably formed from quite heavyand quite stiff paper, having its endsturned upward at 4 and slit at 5.The intermediate portion of the base-strip 3 is cut,

. as best indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, so as to afford portions that maybe turned vertically upward to form supporting-webs 6, having verticalprojections 7. The upper edges of.

thel supporting-webs 6 preferably extend a little more than half-wayacross the u pturned portions and extend under the vertical projections7 to form lock-shoulders 7, for an important purpose which .willpresently appear. Furthermore, it is important to note that alternateupturned portions 6 7 are cut in the same manner, so that when turnedupward they stand in line with each other longitudinally of the strip 3,while the intermediate upturned portions are reversely cut, so that whenturned upward they aline with each other, but are offset in zigzag orderwith respect to the firstnoted upturned portions. rIhe undercutshoulders 7 of adjacent upturned portions therefore project in oppositedirections. The irnportance of this construction will presently appear.To form elastic or expansible pockets to hold the cigars, I employ astrip 8, preferably formed of paper which is light as compared with thebase-strip 3. This strip 8 is IOO iiuted or bent to form a plurality ofcloselypositioned semicylindrical pockets for receiving the cigars. Theridges 9, formed at the junctions of the-pockets of the strip 8, arealternately slitfrom opposite sidesof'thestrip,about half-wayacross thestrip, as bestshown in Fig. 5 and as indicated at 9. The pockets of thesaid strips 8 are formed with outwardly-bent creases 8, which permit thepockets to expand to adapt themselves to cigars varying considerably indiameter. The numeral 10 indicates a so-called spacing-bar, one of whichis adapted to be secured by adhesive material or otherwise to eachupturned end 4 of the basestrip 3.

The manner of putting together the parts described is `as follows: Theupper extensions 7of the upturned webs 6 are inserted into thealternately-cut slits 9 of' the strip 8, and the uncut portions of theridges 9 of the latter are forced down onto the upper edges of the saidwebs 6 and under the lock-shoulders 7a. To effect this interlockingconnection between the strips 3 and 8 requires the latter to be bentlaterally to some extent or to be otherwise slightly bent out of shape;but the said strip 8 when interlocked under the shoulders 7EL willassume its normal shape and will be securely held to the strip 3 withits semicylindrical pockets positioned between and extending below theextensions 7. The webs 6 thus serve to support the pockets of the strip8 and hold them properly spread out, while the extensions 7 afforddividing-partitions between the cigars and, further, as will presentlyappear, serve to support the base-strip 3 of the tray located justabove. The upturned ends 4 of the base-strip 3 are inserted into theextreme end slits 9a of the strip 8, and the slits 5 of said ends 4embrace the uncut end portions of said strip 8. The projecting' endportions of said strip 8 are turned downward against the end portions 4,and the central portions of the spacing-bars 10 are then secured to thesaid end portions 4 over the said downturned ends of the strip 8. Thespacing-bars 10 are preferably made of pasteboard and are of such lengthas to extend from the front to the rear wall of the cigar-box, and thuskeep the tray positioned at or in the vicinity of the central portion ofthe box. One of' the trays described is placed on the bottom of thecigarbox and its pockets are filled with cigars. Then a second tray isplaced upon the filled tray with its base-strip 3 resting upon theupturned portions 7 and upturned ends 4 of the said filled tray. Thesecond tray is then loaded with cigars, and this is repeated until thetrays and cigars fill the box. Over the top layer of cigars I preferablyplace a top strip 11, having end extensions 12, that extend transverselyof the'box and hold the said strip 1l positioned vertically over thefilled trays. This strip 11 may be made ornamental and is well adaptedto carry the trade mark or name of the brand of the cigar or variousother matter.

It will be noted that the upturned portions 6 7 are cut from the strip 3in such manner that thel body of the strip is left strong and wellconnected at all points. It will also be noted that the tray is sodesigned that it may be constructed with scarcely any waste of paper. v

The construction illustrated in Fig. 6 is quite similar to thatillustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive; but in thisarrangementintermediate trays are employed which have semicylin- -dricalpockets, both on the upper and lower side thereof. This intermediatebase-strip 13 is formed with upturned portions 14 and downturnedportionsl, which engage the intermediate ridge portions 16 of the flutedpocket-forming strips 17. These strips 17 correspond to the strip 8 ofthe first-described construction, and they -are formed withexpansion-creases 19. The ends of the base-strip 13 are turned upward at13, and transverselyextended spacing-bars 2O are secured thereto byadhesive material or other suitable means. As shown, the ends of theupper strip 17 are turned over the upper ends 13 of' the strip 13.

The top and bottom trays are alike; but one is turned upward and theother downward. Each comprises a base-strip 21, a pocket-forming strip22, and spacing-bars 23. The pockets of the strip 22 are creased at.22*L for the purpose indicated, and the strip 21 is formed withupturned portions 23, that engage the intermediate ridges of the saidstrips 22'. The spacing-bars 23 are secured to the ends of the strips 21and 22 by adhesive material or by other suitable means.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 6 it is evident thesemicylindrical pockets of a lower strip are supplemental to thedownturned semicylindrical pockets of an overlying strip and that thesesupplemental pockets coperate to hold the cigars. The manner of applyingthe several trays of this construction is obvious from the foregoingstatement.

In Figs. 7 and 8 instead of the end spacingbars I have shown a singlespacer made from a fiat piece of paper 24, cut out at 25 and slit at 26to form feet-fianges 27 and 28. The said feet-fianges 27 are adapted tobe turned in one direction and the said flange 28 in the oppositedirection for engagement with the bottom of the box. The severaltray-strips are adapted to be inserted into the large notch 25, cut inthe body-plate 24. and when thus applied they will be held in alinementat the intermediate portion of the box.

From what has been said it will be understood that the devices hereinspecifically illus- IOO IIO

trated are capable of many modifications within the scope of myinvention as herein set forth and claimed. In all forms of the devicethe trays or sections which make up the filler hold the cigars out ofcontact with each other and relieve the cigars from such pressure fromthe boX as is liable to press them out of shape.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. A tray for holding cigars madeV up of a base-strip and a flutedpocket-forming strip, said base-strip having vertically-projectingportions which engage and support the ridges of said pocket-formingstrip, substantially as described. Y

2. A tray for holding cigars made up of a base-strip, and apocket-forming strip, said base-strip having Webs cut from the 'bodythereof and turned upward and engaging the ridges formed between thepockets of the said pocket-forming strip, substantially as described.

3. A tray lfor holding cigars made up of a base-strip and a flutedpocket-forming strip, said base-strip having permanently-attachedvertically-projecting web portions interlocking with the ridges of saidpocket-forming strip, between the pockets thereof, substantially asdescribed.

4. A tray for holding cigars made up of a base-strip and a utedpocket-forming strip, said base-strip having web portions that engageand support the ridges of said pocketforming strip, and which projectthrough and above said ridges and serve to support overlying trays,substantially as described..

5. In a tray for holding cigars, a relatively stiff base-strip and arelatively pliable iluted pocket-forming strip, said base-strip havingupturned webs cut from the body thereof in reverse order, and formedwith reversely-extended intermediate notches, and said fiuted striphaving at its intervening ridges slits which embrace the upturnedportions of said base-strip, and having its uncut ridge portionsinterlocked With the reversely cut notches thereof, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination with a plurality of relatively narrow trays, havingpockets for receiving the cigars, of spacing means acting on

